Brick-cleaning machine



sept.V 22, 1925.

T, L. KRUPITZER BRICK CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 18,. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet. l

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m NN n :146.1 1 l NN QN N ATrQRNEYs sept 22, 1925. 1,554,582

T. L. KRUPITZER 51mm CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 1a, 1925 2sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

, 1,554,582 Partnr oFFicE,

THEODORE LEONARD KRUPITZER, OF SOUTH JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

i BRICK-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application led'April' 18, 1925. Serial No. 24,282.

To all 'whom t may concern.' j

Be it known that I, THEoDoRn L. KRUPIT- znR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of South Jacksonville, in the county of Duval andState of Florida', have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBrick-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

y present invention relates generally to brick cleaning machines, andmore particularly to machines for cleaning used brick in preparation forreuse, more especially paving brick, and of that type embodying an opendie with cutters, brick guides adjacent Vto the die, and meansengageable with the brick for forcing t-he same through the die againstthe action of the cutters, certain of which are adjustable and springcontrolled with the object in view of clearing off surface collectionssuch as tar and the like as nearly as possible to the surfaces of thebrick itself.

The primary object ofmy present invention is the provision of a simple,comparatively ineXpensive device both as to first cost and upkeep, whichwill be strong and durable, as well as effective and efficient in use. Y

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my present invention andform a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a top plan view,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the cutter bars,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view therethrough on the line 4 4 ofFigure 3,

Figure 5 is a cross section through the apparatus adjacent to the dieand showing the latter in frontelevation,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, v f YFigures 7 and 8 are detail sections taken respectively on the lines 7-7and 8 8 of Figure 5,

Figure 9 is a cross section through the frame on the line through theplunger and plunger guides, and

Figure 10 is a detail side view of the brick engaging end of theplunger.

Referring now to these figures, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, myinvention proposes the use of an elongated rectangular frame, which maybe supported upon wheeled trucks and the like as well as upon a solidfoundation or bed, depending upon whether or not portability is desired,it being understood that in any event the frame is effectively andsolidly held in a horizontal position in order that the bricks tobecleaned may be dropped downwardly within upstanding guides 10, belowwhich guides the bricks come to rest upon spaced rest bars 1l, thelatter paralleling the longitudinal side bars 12 of the main frame,between the ends 13 thereof and nearer to one end than the other. Therest bars 11 are in a horizontal plane slightly below the frame sidebars and the guide bars 10 terminate at their lower ends in line withthe upper edges of the said side bars so that the bricks drop from theguide bars and rest freely on the rest bars for a purpose which willpresently appear.

The laterally spaced rest bars 11 are disn posed immediately in the rearof the die block 14, upon a transverse beam 15 forwardly of the plunger16, and between the latter and the die block 14.

The plunger 16 has tapered sides 17 slidably disposed within the innerV-shaped grooves or side bearings 18 bolted in opposing relation to theside bars 12 of the frame, and beyond its forward end, plunger 16 has arigid brick engaging member 19, spaced therefrom by spacing members 20and preferably of smaller size than that of the bricks to be engagedupon forward movement of the plunger and forced forwardly from the restbais 11 through the opening 14' of the die block 14. i j

To the rear end of the plunger 16, the forward end of a connecting rod21 is engaged, the rear end of this connecting rod being disposed upon acrank pin 22, connecting spaced gears 23, the latter engaged by thespaced apart gears 24 of a driven shaft 25 in the rear portion of theframe, shaft 25 and the shafts of the gears 23 having bearsingsrespectively indicated at 26 and 27 upon the side rails or bars 12 ofthe frame. The driven shaft 25 which projects laterally beyond the frameat one end, has upon its projecting end a pulley 28 by means of which itmay be belt connected to any suitable source of power of either astationary or portable nature.

The die block 14 is securely bolted to and braced in connection with theside rails of bars 12 of the frame, and has along the upper and loweredges as well as the sides of its opening 14a a series of cutter bars ofwhich the annularly disposed bars 29 and 30 along one side and one endof the opening 14a are securely bolted to the die block by bolts 31. Thecutter bars 32 and 33 along the other. side and other end of the dieblock opening are adjustable inwardly and outwardly With their sideedges movable in guide brackets 34 securely bolted to the die block,each of these latter cutter bars 32 and 33 being securely fastened tolugs 35 projecting into vertical grooves 36 ofthe die block as best seenin Figure 8 and controlled by springs 37 in said grooves, Whose tension'is such as to force the cutter bars inwardly with respect to the `dieblock opening under considerable pressure.

Each of the cutter bars has along its inner edge an angularly projectingportion 38 extending away from the die block and serving :as a supportfor the cutter or knife 39 secured thereto, and each 'cutter bar hasIspaced pairs of ears or clamping brackets secured to and projectingtherefrom, between which are bolted, riveted or otherwise fastened as at41, a cutter guide 42 in the nature of an angular projecting blade whose`outer free end hasA a sharpened edge 43 in the same plane With theinner flat surface of Vthe respective cleaning blade 89.

Thus the bricks fed "downwardly Within ythe guides l@ and dropping fromthe latter onto the rest bars l1, lare intermittently engaged by theplunger and forced by the 'lab ter through the die block, such brickcoming rs't into engagement With the cutter lguides 42 so that theVAlatter, engaging the faces of the brick to bev cleaned, adjusts theseveralcleaning blades 39, so that the latter will be in the planesofthe brick faces. This operation takes place by virtue of 'the yieldingqualities of adjustability of the cutter bars 32' and 33; against 'thetension of their controlling springs 37, vand it is obvious that byvirtue of` the sharpened brick engaging free vends of the cutter guides42, tar or other accumulation upon the surfaces of lthe brick to becleaned will be cut through unt-il the free ends or sharpened edgesk ofthe cutter `guides actually engage the surfaces of the brick. 'Thisinsures the 'cutting the surfaces of the brick as the latter passbetween the several cutters and on through the opening 14a of the dieblock during continued Vforward movement of theV plunger. t

the, angula'rly outstanding portionsof the E "cutter bars, may bereadily removed fo'r sharpening, although vsincey these blades are soeffectively guided as they are in use by the edged cutter guides 42, thenecessity for sharpening the cleaning blades is rare particularly theyare formed of a "good quality of hardened steel. c l

Y My invention asa Whole is effective and eihcient in use, readily lendsitself to speedy operation and thus to an output of cleaned brick inconsiderable quantity', and is capa# ble of entirely continuous and'efficient action throughout long periods With little if any attentionexcept to properly feed lthe y,

bricks thereto:

I claim: n A machine of the character described, in- Ycluding a dieblock having an opening there through, aseries of cutter bars on oneface of the die block along the sides and ends of its opening, certain'of which cutter bars are stationary and the thersof which areadjustable, each of said cutter bars having an Vangular vinner portionprojecting away from the'die bleek, a cleaning blade secured to saidangular portion, brackets secured to each of the cutter bars, randcutter guides carried by said brackets, each guide being in the form ofa blade vdisposed at right angles to the cleaning blade and projectingslantingl'y beyond the cutting edge of the cleaning blade andIterminating 'at its free end in a edge disposed in the `plane of thecutting scribed.

disposition of the cleaning blades 39 in pref ciscly 'the desiredpositions so as tocut along THEODORE LEONARD KRUPITZER.

'edge of the 'cleaning blade as d'e-

